Only Way to Beat Procrastination

So there I go and write a really nice email about my dog, and what does he do?

He hamburgalared me.

Earlier this week I left a hamburger on the kitchen counter and left the room for just a few minutes. I came back to an empty plate and an excited dog.

He’s won this round, but I won’t make the same mistake again.

No more procrastinating, and that’s a good lesson for you too.

Take action and get stuff done. It’s the only way to get ahead.

That’s the theme for this week’s QnA.

Q: Hi Craig, what do you do when everything is going against you and how do you keep your perspective? Thanks. – Rachel

Answer: Back in 2003 when I was going through a real rough patch, I specifically remember having a notebook and writing down all the projects I wanted to do in the future, all of the items I wanted to accomplish, and all of my friends who I wanted work with. This kept me going.

So whenever there are bad days, I focus on I focus on my vision, remember my network of people I don’t want to let down, and I realize that nothing bad lasts forever.

That’s why one of my motto’s in life is “It will all be over soon”. This goes for both good times and bad, so enjoy it all.

Q: I’m moving from web content copywriting to sales copywriting and am in the middle of re-training myself. I’m stuck in the “everything has to be perfect before I start” mode. I don’t want to give clients anything but the very best.

How can I break out of this “perfect” mindset and switch to “I actually AM helping these clients”?

Q: “What are your other businesses (I’m only familiar with ETR and Turbulence)? And how do you go about dividing your time between them all?” – Sean

Answer: I have the Turbulence Training Certification program, a Mastermind group with Bedros Keuilian, and a fitness publishing business working with fitness experts like Mike Whitfield, Chris Lopez, Shawna Kaminski, and Dr. Peter Osborne – one of the world’s top experts on gluten-free diets.

My daily work is prioritized based on deadlines.

On a typical day, I focus mostly on ETR early in the morning when I do my best writing, and the afternoon is spent mostly on Turbulence Training (so that I can sit outside in the
sun at a park or in the backyard and write workouts).

And remember this advice:

Reactive people try to “find time” for important things.

Proactive people MAKE time for important things.

Big difference.

And that’s why Reactive people struggle while Proactive people succeed. Choose to use your time wisely on the right things. Be PRO-active, not RE-active.

Q: “Do you use small, regular rewards to motivate yourself, or is the work itself motivation enough?” – Steve Ro.

Answer: Completed projects and progress are big motivators for me. I can understand how an artist or architect feels once a major project is done.

Most of the time, taking an article from idea to finished product is hard mental-manual labor, but it’s so worth it when I have a finished product. That’s what gets me to the top of the mountain, so to speak.

Q: Hey Craig, How does one go about staying focused on one project? I feel like I have so many opportunities I want to hit! –

Annswer: You must prioritize them and say no to the projects that are not going to make the biggest impact on your vision.

Steve Jobs is famous not only for what he did do, but for what he chose not to do.

Q: What would you recommend are essential daily tasks to keep your business running optimaly, and working towards growth? – Pablo

Answer: Driving revenue. That is your number one task in the business. It’s like breathing.

No revenue = no business. No oxygen = no life.

Most people spend way too much time on non-essential items, and forget about what keeps a business alive.

As the old saying goes, “Nothing happens until someone sells something.”

Q: How can I stay productive when Facebook is a major procrastination tool? – Chantelle

Answer : You need to identify what is most important in your life.

You need to come up with 2 solutions (or more) to your FB problem. (<= This method works for everything in life.)

You could get an Internet blocking (Internet Freedom) program. Google it. Also, read my Time Management Kindle book found on Amazon.

Q: Suggestions for creative time/magic time while traveling? I want to still create while I’m away, so would you suggest just trying to keep as close to normal schedule as possible?

Answer: You bet. I was getting up at 1:30am in San Diego (which was
4:30am EST).

When I went to Asia this year, I immediately switched my mind to stick to the same schedule. Everything’s better when you get up earlier and attack the project…and make sure that the night before you outline what needs to be done in the morning.

Q: Craig, will you be hosting or a guest in any future ETR seminars or workshops in the coming months? If so, how would someone be able to find them online? Thank you. – Michael

Answer : One thing I can’t be accused of is not promoting my seminars enough, so trust me, we will post all of our events on EarlytoRise.com, in these emails, or on my Facebook pages.

If we’re doing something, you will hear about it.

And it looks like we’ll be doing a special one-day event in Denver on October 20th. Stay tuned…

Q: Hey Craig, could you recommend a resource for starting and customizing a WordPress blog? – Lukas

Answer: Hey Lukas, we just covered this in the July issue of Financial Independence monthly (a step by step guideline created by Dan West). It’s now available.

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Craig Ballantyne is the author of The Perfect Day Formula: How to Own the Day and Control Your Life. Craig has been a contributor to Men's Health magazine for over 17 years. Today he teaches his gift to high-performing entrepreneurs how to squeeze more out of their days, increase their income, and make more quality time for their families in his Perfect Life Workshop and Work-Life Mastery programs. Craig used his own advice to overcome crippling anxiety attacks in 2006, and he'll teach you his 5 Pillars of Success so you can increase your income, decrease your work time, and live the life of your dreams. Learn more about Craig at craigballantyne.com

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